Restaurant Tip Row Continues
THE PROTESTS continue over the sacking of a Pizza Express employee, fired for speaking out against the company’s policy toward tips, with a new demonstration outside the Wimbledon branch today.
Trade Union members of Unite, are protesting as part of a wider, well publicised campaign calling for restaurants to distribute service charges and tips fairly.
The practice of restaurants using tips to supplement bad wages has caused controversy for a number of years, and following the launch of a restaurant magazine campaign back in January 2007, more and more workers and unions are fighting to address the problems.
Many diners are unaware that well-known firms do this, and that according to HM Revenue and Customs rules they are doing nothing wrong by doing so.
Unite is calling for the immediate reinstatement of the Pizza Express worker, Nabil Guiguis, who had worked for the company for 17 years. The restaurant chain maintains he was fired for misrepresenting the company`s policy and bringing it into disrepute.
Dave Turnbull, Unite regional industrial officer said: "I`m sure Pizza Express customers expect that the tips they leave for good service goes to the staff and would be upset that the restaurant are creaming money off the top.
"Pizza Express should do the right thing and reinstate Unite activist Nabil Guiguis if they want to avoid serious damage to their corporate reputation.
"Along with other restaurants it is vital that Pizza Express operate a transparent tips service so customers know that the service charge they leave goes to the hard-working staff."
To read the original piece on standardising tipping practice across the UK with opinions from critics, tourist associations and insiders click here.
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